herpesvirus

herpesvirus,

any of the family (Herpesviridae) of common DNA-containing viruses, many of which are associated with human disease. See cytomegaloviruscytomegalovirus, member of the herpesvirus family that can cause serious complications in persons with weakened immune systems and infants. A common virus, it is estimated that up to 80% of Americans carry cytomegalovirus by the time they reach adulthood......Click the link for more information.; Epstein-Barr virusEpstein-Barr virus(EBV), herpesvirus that is the major cause of infectious mononucleosis and is associated with a number of cancers, particularly lymphomas in immunosuppressed persons, including persons with AIDS......Click the link for more information.; herpes simplexherpes simplex, an acute viral infection of the skin characterized by one or more painful, itching blisters filled with clear fluid. It is caused by either of two herpes simplex viruses: Type 1, herpes labialis,.....Click the link for more information.; herpes zosterherpes zoster,infection of a ganglion (nerve center) with severe pain and a blisterlike eruption in the area of the nerve distribution, a condition called shingles. The causative organism is varicella zoster, a common, filtrable virus that is also known to cause chicken pox......Click the link for more information..

herpesvirus

[′hər‚pēz‚vī·rəs]

(virology)

A major group of deoxyribonucleic acid-containing animal viruses, distinguished by a cubic capsid, enveloped virion, and affinity for the host nucleus as a site of maturation.

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